hope.

reading this morning from a book that gives daily things to ponder with regard to advent -- the new church season we are in, leading up to christmas. in hebrews 6, there is a passage that speaks about Jesus being the new high priest that enters into the holy place and makes right our sins once and for all. the words that jumped off the page are as follows:

"we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

the hope is the promise of God in Jesus to make us heirs, to promise us eternity through what Jesus did. it's an anchor for our soul. hope. anchors us, keeps us steady, solid, unmoving, firm and secure no matter what.

this first week of advent is about hope. the first candle lit is sometimes called the prophecy candle; it reminds us to be hopeful and expectant of a coming King. that's what the people in Jesus' day needed more than anything -- hope that a king was coming, someone to help them find freedom from oppression and enslavement to those who had little concern or care for their everyday lives.

cool thing to think about -- how do we give hope to the world around us? if our faith is in Jesus, our souls are anchored by hope and the expectation of eternity. that's a pretty solid deal. can we extend that to others, and offer hope to their souls as well?